Cradle
by annaRAWR
Summary: It's the night after the run-in at Malfoy Manor, and Ron can't sleep. He soon learns that Hermione can't too, and is the only one who is there for her. Fluff :3


**Hellooo :) This is my first fanfic, so I'd really appreciate if you could read and review? :3 Negative critisism is fine as long as it's constructive. I really don't want just, 'you're lame', because if I am indeed lame, I would like to know why xP  
I've always liked the idea of Ron and Hermione, but I never really loved it like I do now until I saw the newest film. They're so cute together! This is set on the night of Malfoy Manor, just after all the action :P I apologise if the characters are a little out of character, I tried to stay as close to them as I could. **

**Enjoy! –Annabelle :)**

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_Cradle_

Ron Weasley; the guy with no feelings. Reacts before he thinks. Says things he doesn't mean. Has the emotional range of a teaspoon.

It didn't really hurt too badly when you said it then. It was all in good fun, just a joke about how misunderstanding and dumb I can be. I laughed, but somehow it still stuck with me, and it's times like this when your witty words said so long ago can cut me deeply. Sure, I keep a brave face, make a joke about it... it's what us Gryffindor's do, isn't it? 'Where dwell the brave at heart.'

I have to be brave... because it feels like even if you _knew _what you were doing to me, you still wouldn't care. Why would you? Was horcrux Hermione right? Who would love me, when they could have the boy who lived?

I rolled over, looking up at the blank ceiling of Bill's cottage. I could pretend I was mad at her, but it wouldn't help anything. We'd been through enough; we definitely didn't need that added drama. I wasn't sure how she felt about me anymore; ever since I'd come back she'd been pretty bitter towards me, and although it hurt I guess I just had to try my best to understand. But after all that had happened... after what she'd been through in Malfoy Manor, would she still put up the I-hate-Ron act?

This thought made me shudder as I remembered what had happened. Her screaming... the shrill noise completely ripped through my heart every time she opened her mouth. I hated feeling so helpless... I just wanted to help her. Knowing I couldn't was completely crushing me. Of course, Harry Potter would find a way to help. He could help her. I couldn't...

My depressing trail of thought was broken when I heard the door to the room creak. I looked up to see a feminine figure with untamed hair, and didn't need to strain my eyes to know it was Hermione. Not wanting to make it obvious I was staring, I narrowed my eyes so they were almost closed and strained my ears. I heard her breathing was a little shaky, and came to the conclusion she was on the verge of crying. Her silhouette wandered over to the lonely armchair right next to me, and she curled up in it, tucking her legs up to her chest and leaning on the arm, away from me. Harry and Dean hadn't seemed to notice her appearance, both of them being in a deep sleep. I didn't know how they could sleep, but I envied them. Though at the same time, I was glad I was awake to see Hermione come in.

I heard a sharp breath, and became frustrated that I couldn't properly see her. Her shaky breathing had become definite sobs, and I felt guilty pretending I was ignorant of it. With my head at an awkward angle, I managed to see her hand on the sofa, clenched into a fist as if she was trying to restrain her emotion. As her crying became heavier and her fist became tighter, I couldn't stand being invisible anymore. I reached out my own hand and put it on top of hers, but she quickly pulled away and gasped in shock.

"Ron, you startled me!" She whispered, both her hands clutching over her heart. When she relaxed and let her hand fall back on the sofa arm, I put my own hand back on top of it, stroking her hand with my thumb. It reminded me of the time I had found myself playing with her fingers as we were falling asleep at Grimmauld Place, and she'd smiled an entertained smile at me before taking my own hand into hers. I had stroked her hand until she'd fallen asleep, before letting myself sleep too, feeling as peaceful as I possibly could.

"I'm sorry," I finally whispered back. "I didn't mean to."

She nodded. I looked into her watery eyes; they were still glossy from the tears she was now holding back, and all around her eyes her skin was tinted red from where she'd been crying. She also looked incredibly tired. I felt myself frown slightly.

"What's wrong?" I asked her, turning around properly and propping my head up on my arm. She looked ahead of herself instead of at me, and drew another shaky breath before replying.

"It's too much," she whispered painfully. "What we're doing... it's insane! Today could be nothing compared to what we might have ahead of us. They're so strong... and we have so much to lose. They have no compassion Ron..." her voice was coming out in her whispers, as the tears rose again. "First, what they did to me... and what they've done to so many other muggle-borns. And then... Dobby..." her breath hitched before fresh streams of tears poured from her eyes. I had to swallow a lump in my throat so I didn't cry myself, and I pulled myself up to sit on the arm of Hermione's chair, wrapping my arms around her shoulders and resting my cheek on top of her head.

"You were bloody brave, Hermione," I said lowly. "You were screaming, but you didn't once beg for it to stop." I didn't wanna tell her how _I _was begging for it to stop. "You're so strong... I know you'll get through it."

"But what if you and Harry don't?" she said quietly. I should've known she wasn't crying for herself.

"We're big boys, we can take care of ourselves," I said light-heartedly. She didn't seem to care for it though, as I heard her sob again. It really did hurt me whenever I saw her cry, and I hated that I couldn't help her. Jealousy spread through me for a moment, when I knew that if Harry was awake he'd have some wise words to say to comfort her. But for now, it was just me and her, and that's what mattered.

I carefully swung my legs off the arm and onto the chair, before sliding into the chair myself. It was quite a big chair, so we were comfortable. She was leaning on the chair arm so I leaned on her shoulder, wrapping one arm around her torso and using the other to play with her hair. Her arm covered my own, her fingers sliding through the gaps in between mine and gripping my hand so tightly I could feel my hand going cold, but I didn't care. My thumb stroked her finger in my attempt to silently calm her down, and after a little while, the crying finally dissolved into the occasional sniff. When I thought she was better, I spoke.

"You alright now?" I asked. She nodded, and I moved to sit up on the arm again but her clamp like hold on my hand tightened.

"Don't leave," she breathed. It was so quiet that it could've been my imagination, but the heat rushing to my cheeks and the stopping of my heart proved otherwise. I stared at her in awe... she genuinely asked me not to leave... she genuinely needs me here...

"I won't" I whispered, meaning it in so many ways. I could never leave her.

I made myself a little more comfortable, resting my head on her neck as I was feeling cramped on her shoulder, and put my other arm over the chair arm Hermione was leaning on. She shuffled slightly, but not away from me, and her hand was still gripping onto mine. I looked down at our hands and smiled. I was sure she was doing the same.

"What brought you here in the first place?" I asked quietly.

"I was having nightmares... and when I woke up, I couldn't sleep because I kept hearing Bill and Fleur talking about us all."

"You were having nightmares?"

She nodded. "I've been getting them a lot recently. About Hogwarts... and you-know-who... and the three of us. It's been driving me crazy." She whispered the last sentence a little quieter than the rest. I hugged her tighter, and she squeezed my hand.

"We'll be ok," I whispered. "All of us."

She nodded, and her eyes closed tiredly. I smiled, curling up a little more and closing my own eyes. I honestly hadn't felt this happy in a long time. It was hard to believe that this happening now was real.

"Thank you," she whispered softly, squeezing my hand again before holding it a little looser. I smiled. I was so happy I had to bit the inside of my lip to stop myself from giggling like a little girl. My heart honestly felt like it could've exploded there and then. In the middle of all this destruction and loss, she was there, the little light in my life. It was so weird, how much I'd thought about this happening, and here it was, in reality.

I opened my eyes and looked up at her peaceful face. She was so beautiful...

I wanted to tell her then and there how I felt about her. How glad I was that she was here with me now. How she was the only positive thing in my life and I adored her for it.

"...Hermione?" I whispered. I got no reaction, and smiled. She was asleep. I turned slightly, and delicately kissed her cheek, feeling it the only way I could make her understand. When I looked at her, I could've sworn she was smiling, and relaxed my head back on her neck, smiling with her.

'I love you.'


End file.
